NEW MASTER PLUMBER LAUDED

The Municipal Government of BuadiposoBuntong, headed by Mayor Noron "Hayanisah" Guinar Dadayan, would like to Congratulate MPDC Engr. Safrullah Mangontra for passing The Master Plumber Licensure Examination on February 19-20,2023, in Cagayan de Oro City. In a joint statement, Mayor Noron, her bet- ter half, former Mayor Jamal T. Dadayan, Vice Mayor Norhosnyah M. Landua, members of the Sangguniang Bayan, together with all LGU employees said they are incredibly proud of the new Master Plumber Engineer and extended their warmest congratulations.

ROCAYA S.O. YAHYA

TARAKA, Lanao del Sur

The Local Government Unit of Taraka headed by Mayor Atty. Amenodin U. Sumagayan in cooperation with the Taraka-Rural Health Unit chief Dr. Boalawan Delawi and the Dental Team of the Integrated Provincial Health Office-Lanao del Sur headed by Dr. Artawan Indar conducted the celebration of the National Dental Health Month 2023 with the theme “Ibigin ang bibig!” last February 15 in Taraka, Lanao del Sur.

Included in the celebration are the provision of the following dental services for free:

1. Oral Examination 6-9 yrs. old

2. Health Education

3. Oral Prophylaxis 6-9 yrs. old

4. Moral Sealant (Restoration) 6-9 yrs. old

5. Toothbrushing Drill

6. Topical Fluoridation (Sodium Fluoride Varnish Application for 12-23 months old/m2-5 yrs. Old)

7. Tooth Extraction all ages.

LGU-Taraka continues to provide services, particularly health services, to uplift the lives of all its constituents.

ROCAYASUMNDADOTICAL-YAHYA

Sen. Padilla’s charade

SEN. Robinhood Padilla’s ‘unusual’ demand to ban the move ‘Plane’ from being shown in Philippine cinemas on account of the negative portrayal of Jolo in the film is more of a charade than anything else. For an actor who has been proudly portraying criminals and other evil men in many of his movies, the request was anomalous for this only escalated interest in the flick, which in turn translates into more income for the movie makers.

While the intent of banning a movie may be good, Padilla has failed to appreciate what is meant by artistic license. There is no question he loves the Muslim people of which his faith is affiliated, but he has miserably overlooked that the enterprise that has been his bread and butter is clothed by freedoms safeguarded under the 1987 Constitution.

Highlighting further his ignorance, the lawmaker said he would only recommend the movie he wants banned if certain “changes are made and they are found to be satisfactory.” In order not to further dignify his shortsightedness, he proudly said the film’s local distribution had voluntarily withdrawn the movie from Philippine showing.

Sen Padilla thought all the while he could piggyback on some idiotic caravan and be declared a hero. He even wants the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to become a monster by proposing to imbue it with the power to control, censor and classify

Ironing the MILF kinks

Even the respected director Brillante Mendoza was direct in shooting down Padilla’s idiocy, saying: “Artists and industry people who became lawmakers should do something to protect the very industry that helped put them in that position, not use that power to control it.”

Perhaps even more telling and blunt is the statement made by the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc. (DGPI), which lectured the neophyte senator that “Agency and free choice must remain with the public, rather than imposed by politicians.” What a shame!

The DGPI added: “If the state can tolerate free expression of trolls, fake news and historical revisionism without worrying about their effect on the country’s prestige, then the state can do the same for a work that members of the foreign press have already regarded as mindless B-movie entertainment rather than a reliable commentary on our country’s affairs.

“We support allowing the film to screen, informing the public of any problematic claims it makes, inviting open debate, or simply ignoring the film altogether. But we stand against censorship or banning the exhibition of this film from screening.”

Moreover, the grandstanding senator has yet to act in a film that proclaims the wonders of Jolo, an enchanting territory that is immensely stunning given its pristine beaches, beautiful sunsets, turquoise waters, and wonderful biodiversity. Instead, he has popularized and glorified the lives of criminals in his films. In context, Sen. Padilla has no objections to making public enemies the theme of films especially if the assured talent fee makes for a fat pocketbook.

For sure, if the movie was offered to Sen. Padilla and the talent fee was in dollars, theres no arguing he would have accepted it hands down. And, he also has to withdraw in good fate his movies that glorify hooligans, thugs, and fugitives of the law.

Be that as it may, we have also to credit the so-called ‘Bad Boy’ of Philippine movies, an ex-convict, for his guts to take side on an issue that personally makes little sense given that it deals on an illusory plot. Someone should tell the senator the difference between fact and fiction.

As to his proposal to abolish the party-list system, he deserves our applause.

PHILIPPINE

The collective effort by four provincial governors Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) appealing to skip the 2003 village polls on account of the mounting violence committed against high-ranking officials reflects a lot about the undercurrents affecting the peace and order in the region.

The appeal, as it suggests, bears on the failure of the government to speed up the execution of the mechanisms forged by the government with the Moros that are contained in the 2014 peace deal. In contrast to the fanfare that attended the signing of the deal, the atmosphere of stability in the BARMM following a series of ambushes in recent weeks is on the precipice.

The governors, in their joint letter, apprised the President that a few months into the first decade of the peace accord, the deactivation of MILF camps and the decommissioning of weapons have been on turtle’s pace. The delay has created discontent and it slowly stirring a hornet’s nest that, if the kinks are not irone out, will provoke a new round of discontent in the region.

The signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the establishment of the BARMM have always been viewed as positive steps in finally toning down the signs of discontent slowly dividing the State and the Moro fighters.

The reluctance of the implementers to put on track the nitty-gritty of the deal does not bode well for a smooth reconciliation. For the Moros who have embraced optimism that the accord will directly benefit them, there is a perceptible doubt the promises sealed in the deal will ever see the light of day. In the absence of

Philippine Muslim Today, the country s first Muslim digital newspaper, is committed to a steady, highly developed, and diverse Southern Philippines urgency, the BARMM timetable is in jeopardy.

Issuing soothing statements, promises of speedy decommissioning, and assurances of better life for the people of the BARMM are not sufficient lip services given that these pledges do not address the basic clamor of the Muslim grassroots for opportunities, especially jobs and livelihood that will inspire them to work for a more progressive BARMM landscape.

The governors are right in arguing that pushing the 2023 elections is not even close to resolving the issue of discontent but throws under the bus the urgency to first stabilize the region before the exercise of suffrage can be peacefully executed.

Parallel to the discontent, the Ata of Zambales is similarly griping for failing to be given their due in the development of Subic, which is their ancestral domain. This is the same sentiment that seems to vibrate in t the MILF circle, which is that of being relegated.

An even more compelling aspect of nailing down normalcy in the region is for the leaders of BARMM to embrace fiscal reforms that bring into mainstream budgeting the true employ (as opposed to 15-30 scheme) of MILF and MNLF members as part of the larger bureaucratic agenda of developing the BARMM into an attractive investment turf that can offer skilled manpower.

The kinks, more than anything else, must be addressed permanently and hastily. Even the governors, using the controls in their power, should exert effort in finally definitive peace to the region, which is an important facet in luring investors and businesses to the BARMM. Failure to take the matter of peace seriously can be to the detriment of all.

CREDITS

Please email communication to: muslimtoday2020@gmail.com

INSIDE LOGO: The stylized Philippine flag on the left of the masthead is a creation of April Perez of jsonn.deviantart.com, while on the right is the official logo of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) where this paper is principally circulated. Plans are afoot, though, to distribute the Philippine Muslim Today throughout Mindanao and outside.